A day at the beach turned deadly on Sunday when drifting sea mines exploded near popular tourist spots in southern Ukraine, killing at least three people.
The blasts struck the Black Sea resort area of Zatoka at around 11:30 a.m., tearing through crowds of swimmers and sunbathers. Local reports say the victims, a woman and two men, were in the water when two explosive devices detonated about 50 meters from shore, per BBC News.
Odessa regional governor Oleh Kiper confirmed the fatalities, stating: “All of them have been killed by explosive devices while swimming in areas prohibited for recreation.” Police added that one man died in Karolino-Buhaz, while the other two victims were killed in Zatoka.
Both locations fall within the Karolino-Buhaz community in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi district, an area officially closed to swimming because of the ongoing risk of mines drifting in from the warfront. Footage from the scene shows stunned beachgoers gathered along the sand, with the water quickly emptying after the explosions, according to The Sun.
Bomb disposal units, investigators, and rescue crews are now searching the coastline for more devices. Authorities have opened a criminal investigation under Article 115 of Ukraine’s penal code, classifying the incident as an “accident” for now.
Despite repeated safety warnings, only two bathing areas in the Odessa region are currently open: the central city beach in Chornomorsk and a beach in Primorske, Izmail district.
The Black Sea has become a deadly minefield since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, with both Ukrainian and Russian forces deploying mines to defend ports and block naval routes, the Public International Law and Policy Group writes. Powerful storms and strong currents often dislodge them, sending them adrift toward busy coastal areas. Odessa’s shoreline, once one of Ukraine’s top holiday destinations, has been hit especially hard as mines from shipping lanes wash into shallow waters.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Russia has been accused of running a disturbing online “slave catalogue” of abducted Ukrainian children in occupied territories.
According to the NGO Save Ukraine, the catalogue (allegedly searchable by hair color, eye color, age, gender, and even personality traits) lists nearly 300 children labeled as “orphans” or “left without parental care.” Activists say many were forcibly taken from their families, issued new Russian identity documents, and “matched” with Russian families as though they were pets up for adoption, according to Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty.
The Times reports the system even allows searches by whether a child is “calm” or “active.” Ukrainian officials claim the database is part of a wider campaign that has seen tens of thousands of minors abducted since the start of the war, calling it one of the most brazen elements of Moscow’s war crimes.